Designing blocks



May a, 1924. 1,492,671

E. N. BRUEL DESIGNING BLOCKS Filed March 6. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN EN TOR.

j/ qwmxw E. N. BRUEL.

DESIGNING BLOCKS Filed March 6. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR Patented May 6, 1924;

UNIT-so STATES PATENT OFFICE.

E'DUARD N. BRU-EL, OF BAYONNE, Iil'IEWiT JERSEY.

DESIGNING stocks.

Application filed March 6, 1923. ,Serial No. 623,085.

new and useful Improvements in Designing Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to designing blocks and aims to provide articles of this nature which are sometimes termed toy blocks. and by means of which a child or others will be capable of assembling the blocks in such a manner that in aggregate they will produce any figure or picture it is desired to simulate.

It is' well appreciated thata number of different block sets have been designed and placed upon the market for the purpose of permitting of their assembly by a child whereby certain geometric figures might be duplicated. .However, these sets although filling the purpose for which they were intended have not permitted the making of various figures or pictures, in that the designs presented by each individual block have not been of such a nature-as to permit of this result being achieved.

With the objection heretofore noted in mind, my present invention aims to provide a set of blocks each of which will present certain designs and in which these individual blocks may be assembled: together or aggreated, to produce virtually any picture or gure which it may be desired to duplicate.

A further object of my invention is that of providing a set of blocks of the character stated in which each individual block will preferabl present a number of different designs-an in whichthese desi ns will be so arranged that a .person inspecting one of the faces of any given block will immediately become cognizant of* the various other designs appearing u on the other faces thereof. Thus, 1t .wi 1 be unnecegsary for a person to inspect all of the different designs carried byl tain whet a single block in order to ascerer the particular outline desired is present on the same.

- Adufurther object of m invention is the pro ction of a set of b ocks of the character stated which may be manufactured at a nominal figure, which will afford amusement not only to children but also to adultpersons and by means of which any number of different figures or picturesof a more or less intricate naturemay be produced or simulated.

With these and further objects in mind reference is had to the accompanying sheet of drawings as illustrating a practical embodiment of my invention in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a set of blocks assembled together to simulate a design of a well known-figureused for advertising purposes and Figs. 2 to 10 show flattened views of individual blocks illustrating the design appearing on the different faces of the same according to the present embodiment of the invention. By a flattened view I mean a view showing all the faces or sides of the block turned or bent up into the same plane whereby they may all be viewed simultaneously. v

The essence of my invention consists in the use of' blocks which are preferably rectangular and present a body provided with six faces or sides, certain of these blocks having their upper and lower faces of greater area thanthe side faces thereof, all of the faces, however, bearing each a certai design. 4

Thus, in Figures 3 to 10 it will be noted that the edge or side faces of each of the blocks are relatively narrow in comparison with the upper and lower faces thereof. Furthermore, it will be seen in these figures that with the exception of those faces which are wholly of one color that the other faces of each block present a design in contrasting colors, and it willbe further apparent that in most of each of these latter instances the major portion single shade of color. A

In the present embodiment of the invention the contrasting colors utilized are black and white. Referring particularly to Figure 3 for example the reference numeral 11 indicates one of the major faces of the block while the numeral 12 indicates the second major facemf the same. The numerals 13, 14, 15 and 16 fin lly indicate the four edge or side faces of (7% block illustrated in this figure and in each instance it will be noted, with the-exception of faces 11,- 12' and 16 which are ,of a solid color, that contrasting colors are utilized.

Likewise, in Figure 2 in which a cubic block has been shown, the upper and lower of each block face is of a faces 17 and 18 thereof each present merely one color, while the side faces 19, 20, 21 and 22 bear contrasting colors, it being seen, particularly with regard to faces 21 and 22, that one color predominates and that the designs borne by the faces 19 and 20 are reversals of each other while the designs appearing upon the faces 21 and 22 have their colors reversed as respects the relative position thereof.

This latter feature of the invention is probably best exemplified in Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 in which the four edge or side faces respectively present:

First, a certain design; f. Second, a reversal thereof on an adjacent Third, a color reversal of the design first mentioned on an adjacent face;

Fourth, a similar color reversal of the design mentioned in the second instance.

Also in each of these designs, it will be noted that one color predominates on each face and it will be obvious that by glancing at any one of thefour edge or side faces of any of these blocks that the design'probably or in many cases appearing upon all of the faces will immediately be apparent. While it is of course not ossible to follow this design arrangement tiirough the faces of all of the blocks it will nevertheless be seen that I have endeavored to do so as far as practicable. For example, in Figures 9 and 10 in each instance each of the edge or side faces are color reversals of each other while the two remaining faces are also color reversals although being of a diiferent design from that appearing upon the first two faces of the block. Also, as in Figure 4 it will be noted that the first two edge faces are respectively longitudinally and transversely divided into: contrasting colors so that the same generalthought is followed wherever possible.

As to the designs which may be made assembling the blocks properly it will be' noted as in Figure 1, that by virtue of. certain of the blocks being formed with a relatively narrow edge portion and by carryingdesigns of contrasting or solid colors upon these edge portions, that various finished figures or pictures may be produced b means of blocks of this general type. bus the block set lends itself to numerous uses 'heretofore regarded as outside the scope of a device of this nature and also the setting up of the blocks becomes a far more fascinating" f M r h pastime-than was the case in conventional blocksets.

Accordingly all of the objects of this invention are accomplished and it will be a preciated that numerous variations may e made in the shape of the blocks as well as the design presented thereon without in the least departing from the spirit of my invention'as defined by my claims which are:

1. A designing block set comprising a plurality of blocks each provided with a number of faces, some of said faces presenting each a plurality of colors contrasting with one another While other faces are covered respectively with a different one of said contrasting colors.

2. A designing block set comprising a plurality of blocks each provided with a number of faces, certain of said faces being of a" less area than others of the same, and con- .trasting color designs associated with the first named faces, said colors contrasting. with one another on the same face.

3. A designing block set comprising a plurality of blocks each provided with a number of faces, certain of said blocks having contrastin colors on their faces to provide different esigns thereon, .said colors contrasting with one another on the same face and the designs upon the difierent faces of the same block bellig reversed in color with respect to each other.

4. A designing block set comprising a plurality of blocks each provided with a num ber of faces, certain of said blocks having respectively different designs thereon, elements of. the design on each of said faces bearing respectively as to said element, colors contrasting with one another and the designs upon the difi'erent faces of the same block .haying their colors reversed.

f 5. 'A designing block set comprising a plurality of blocks e'achprovided with a number of faces, the upper and lower faces of said blocks being'both of solid color and the colors of said faces respectively contrasting with one another While the edge faces of some of said blocks each present designs m which the said colors contrast withbneanother on the same face. i Signed at'New York in thecoustygf New Yorke d State of New York the nn. 1923.

EDUAJRD n. anan t 

